Trends in Smoking during Pregnancy in the Nordic Countries

Audience: The presentation benefits maternal health care personnel.

Key Points: Maternal smoking differed considerably between Nordic countries perhaps reflecting differences in smoking legislation. We identified specific groups to whom smoking cessation intervention should be aimed. The Finnish Medical Birth Register (National Institute for Health and Welfare) contains information on maternal smoking, and maternal background factors (age, socioeconomic status, parity, marital status). Detailed information on maternal smoking was requested from other Nordic countries (the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare, the Danish National Board of Health, The Norwegian Institute of Public Health, and The Public Health Institute, Iceland). The data on maternal smoking was compared between Finland 1987–2010, Denmark 1991–2010, , Norway 1999–2009, and Sweden 1983–2008. No data was available for Iceland. The prevalence of maternal smoking has declined in other Nordic countries since smoking data has been gathered (Denmark: from 30.6% to 12.5%, Norway: 20.6% to 16.5%, and Sweden: 31.4% to 6.9%) but not in Finland (approx. 15%). Since 2000, maternal smoking in women aged 25 years or less has decreased in Sweden by 21% (from 19.7% to 15.5%) and in Denmark by 13% (from 32.2% to 28.1%) but increased by 23% (from 25.9% to 31.8%) in Finland. Data on other variables will be presented in the presentation.

Educational Experience: Offers help to recognize women to whom smoking cessation intervention should be aimed.

Benefits: Helps to understand the differences in maternal smoking and to develop smoking cessation intervention strategies in different countries.